Rotary pick mining machine



Jan. 12, 1965 5. B. DAWSON ETAL 3,165,361

ROTARY PICK MINING MACHINE Filed May 1, 1961 s Sheets-Sheet 1 erda)? /5er7r4 771 02 use ren: 2 \/o/m MW: 16% m fimh v 711 0 Jan. 12, 1965 Filed May 1, 1961 as. DAWSON ETAL 3, 55,

ROTARY PICK MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Go valor BerTram 0044 5022. v Lauren9 o/m M; [is [M fi% )7% WdwLw Jan. 12, 1965 Filed May 1, 1961 G. B. DAWSON ETAL ROTARY PICK MINING MACHINE FIG. 3

5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

,Iqrezflors G o r :21 on BerTmm D1 wso urence John MI [is M 27 hmlw 3,165,361 Patented Jan. 12, 1955 United 1 States. Patent Ofiice W 3,165,361 7 ROTARY PICK MINING MACHINE Gordon Bertram Dawson, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and Laurence John Mills, Coleorton, England, assignors to Coal Industry (Patents) Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Filed May 1, 1961, Ser. No. 106,552 1 Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 5,- 1960,

1,593/60 4 Claims, (Cl. 29943) This invention relates to mineral mining machines. The invention is particularly applicable to the mining operation known as stable-hole cutting but it is also applicable to other mining operations such as long-wall mining, short-wall mining, heading out, and ripping.

According to the present invention, a mining. machine comprises a rotary pick carrier carrying at least one cutter-pick which upon rotation of the carrier is caused to describe a circular path in a plane'parallel to the general direction of travel of a conveyor on which the carrier is mounted and along which the carrier is caused to move to-and-fro, and means for automatically recipromating the carrier, the arrangement being such that, when the machine is held against aface to be worked during rotation and reciprocation of the carrier, mineral is removed from the face in a series of shallow cuts.

When the invention is applied to stable-hole cutting, it is advantageous that the whole of the machine for performing the invention lies within the profile cut in the face so that the machine can be advanced bodily towards the newly exposed face.

Advantageously, the rotary pick carrier comprises-at least one arm mounted for rotation at or nearI one of its ends and carrying a cutter-pick at or near its other end. The rotary pick carrier may have three. or more (e.g. six) symmetrically arranged arms.

The machine may include means by the action of which it is held against the face to be worked. I Preferably, the machine includes means adapted to effect sumping of the machine into theface, said means being actuated by the passage of the pick carrier past one or more predetermined points. 7

j The machine may include a toe-plate adapted to engage the mineral face.

The means for automatically reciprocating the carrier may comprise an endless driving member attached to an element movable'in a first guide in a direction transverse to the general direction of movement of the conveyor.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description and the appended'claims.

One embodiment of the present invention will now .be described in greater detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the whole machine,

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the machine, taken-through the axisof rotation of the pick carrierwith parts removed-for purposes of illustration, FIGURE 3 is aplan-view of the conveyor and the means for automatically reciprocating the pick carrier;

and I.

- FIGURE 4 isa partial'elevation in section on the line A'AofFIGURF.3. i i

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the machine, which is for cutting stable-holes, comprises a framework 1 from the lower portion of which extend several hydraulic rams 2.. The framework 1 of the machine is mounted on floor skids 38 as will be described hereinafter. Above the rams 2 and extending the whole length of the framework 1 is a scraper chain conveyor 3 comprising a deck plate 4 upstanding from which is a centre rib 5 encircled by an endless chain 6 carrying flights 7 and engaging at one end a driving sprocket 8 and at the other end: an idler sprocket9. As will be vseen particularly from FIGURES 1 and 3 the two runs 10 and 11 of the conveyor 3 are in the same horizontal plane, The deck plate 4 is cutaway at 12 immediately above abelt conveyor 13 extending at right angles to'the conveyor 3; Consequently, material picked up by conveyor 3. on the run 10 is discharged 'at 12 on the run 11 on to the conveyor 13.

Extending the length of the framework 1 and positioned above the conveyor 3 are guide rails 14 (not shown in FIGURES 3 and 4) one on each side of theframework 1. Running in thesev guide rails are wheels 15 (FIGURE 2 only) which support a carriage 30 comprising a guide 16 in which a connecting element 17 is slidable transversely of the machine. The connecting element 17 is in the forrnof a traverse pin welded or otherwise attached to ,anendless' chain18 which'at oneend passes around a driving sprocket 19 and at the other end passes around anidler. sprocket 20. It will be seen from the above that continuous, movement in one direction of the chain 18 will result in movement of the guide 16 and carriage 30 to-and-fro' above the conveyor 3. The element or traverse pin 17 extends into a traverseblock 31, and is fastened therein with a bonded rubber bush 37 which @can accommodate any misalignment, and the traverse block 31 and traverse pin 17 slide to-and-fro in the guide 16 transversely of the circuit of the haulage chain 18, and the guide 16 and carriage 30 are thus caused to reciprocate longitudinally of the said circuit.

Separate adjustment means 32 and 33 are provided for adjusting independentlyvthe positions ofthe sprockets 2 0 and 9 and hence-the tensions of the chains 18 and 6 rep c i i s Y The driving sprockets 19 and 8 are both mounted on a common driving shaft 34 which is driven through agear sprocket 35 by a motor 40 or other convenient source of p 1 s t Carried by thecarriage- 30 is a motor 24 (seeFI G- URE 1) co'nnected. through gear-box 25 to a shaft 26 (FIGURE 2). Secured to the shaft26 by one end are six pick-carrying arms 27 The arms27 are fixed relative to each other and are each angularly displacedfrom the adjacent arm by Each arrri 27 carries at its free end a single cutter-pi-ck 21, preferably arranged at approximately 45 to the arm as shown in FIGURE 2. On the lower portionof framework 1 and projecting forwardly of the machine are two toe-plates one of which is shown at 22 in FIGURE 2. These toe-plates are located one near each end of the machine and closely adjacent to but clear of the arc swept by the cutter-picks 21. 1 Floor skids, one of which isshown at 38 (FIGURE 2), are attached to the framework 1' of the machine by means of arms 41 pivotally connected by pins 42.to the front part of the framework 1. The position of the arms 41 and skid 38 relative to the frame'WOrk Icanbe ,ad-

justed by screw jack 43 in order tosteer the machine. Screw jack 43 could of course be replaced by a hydraulic or pneumaticfram if desired. These .floor skids 3,8 .are provided at intervals along the length of and beneath the c0nveyor 3.' v I The'operation of the above described machine'is as follows: I

'The machine is arranged with the framework 1 lying parallel to the face to be worked and the motor 24 together with the cutting-head constituted by the arms 27 and the picks 21 at its extreme left-hand position (as viewed in FIGURE 1) with respect to the framework 1. The motor 24 is now operated to rotate the arms 27 about the horizontal axis 23 (FIGURE 2) of shaft 26 through gear-box 25 and the whole machine is advanced picks 21, tosump into the face.

on said body and connectedto a horizontal drive shaft operating so that the flights 7 traverse the deck plate 4 1 the driving sprocket 19 is rotated to drive the chain 18 to cause-the guide 16 (through the medium of element 17 to reciprocate over the conveyor 3. The guide '16 will carry with it the cutting-head which includes arms 27 and picks21, and rotation of the cutting-head as it passes over the conveyor 3 causes a layer of coal to. be planed from the face being worked. The depth of coal cut by the first passage of the cutting-head over the conveyor 3 depends on the distance which .the picks21 were initially sumped into the face, but once the machine is operating, cutting and sumping proceed continuously and automatically, the machine advancing towards the face as soon as it is freed to do so by the passage of the cutter past the toe-plate, which then advances to contact the freshly-cut face. When the machine is operatingautomatically, the depth of coal cut by one passage of the cutting-head over the conveyor depends upon the distance which the picks 21 sump into' the face at each end. of the reciprocation. This latter depth will be limited by the positioning and size of toe-plate 22 engagement of which with the face being worked after the cutting-head has cut by will prevent the picks21 being sumped into the face to an undesirable depth.

It has been found in practice, that it is desirable that the depth of each out should not exceed'about 2 and that with thisdepth of cut a convenient rate of traverse of the cutting-head along the conveyor 3 is 6" per revolution. Good results have been achieved with a depthof cut of from /2" to 1".

It will be seen from FIGURE 4, that when the'guides 16 reach the right-hand extremity of chain 18 the dimetion of movement of the motor 17 and the cutting-head over the conveyor 3 will be reversed so that upon one extending transverse to said conveyor, a rotary tool carrier mounted on said shaft and extending vertically downwards alongside of and imediately adjacent one side of' said conveyor, said carrierhaving at its periphery only one row of spacially-separated cutter tools located on a circle having its centre-on'the drive shaft axis, each cuttcr tool extending radially outwardly and obliquely in a direction away from the conveyor, abutment means adjacent each end of the conveyor and projectinglaterally from said side of the conveyor, each abutment means comprising an element rigid wtih said conveyor and extending below said carrier to a location adjacent the conveyor side of the. path swept out bythe cutter tools upon rotation of 'said carrier,-and means for applying thrust to said conveyor to move said conveyor laterally against a mineral face whereby upon the passageof said carrier past the abutment means, the machine ,is automaticallysumped into the face by an amount approximately equal to the distance between the said locations and the path swept out by the outer extremities of the cutter tools. I

2. A mineral mining machine according to claim 1,

. wherein said carrier comprises a plurality of radial arms complete revolution of thechain 18 and motor 17 and cutting head is reciprocated once over the conveyor 3.

Coal cut from the face by the picks 21 is thrown on to the conveyor 3 and is dicharged therefrom in theman- 3) through aperture 12 in deck plate 4.

The above described machine is particularly applicable 7 to the cutting of stable-holes and for this purpose,.to ensure that no parts of the machine foul the surrounding coal, the, machine is arranged so that the whole of the machine lies within the profile ,cut by the picks 21 in a complete passage of the cutting-head from one endof the conveyor 3 to the other;

However, the principle of using a very small number of picks in conjunction with taking a relatively shallow cut is equally applicable to, for example, long-wall min-.

Whilst it has been found in practice that the use of six picks is preferable any required number of picks may be used but it is advantageous to use as few picks as is necessary. In fact, the invention is applicable. where only a single arm 27 and pick 21 is used but, of course, the rate of movement of the motor 17 and the cutting-head must be reduced or the pick speed increased accordingly.

We claim:

. 1.A mineral mining machine comprising a conveyor,

a body mounted for movement along said conveyor, means for effecting reciprocating movement of said body from' end-to-end of said conveyor, first drive means mounted angularly and symmetrically displaced from each other, each :arm' carrying a single cutter tool at its radially outer end.

3. A mineral mining machine according to'claim 1, wherein said means for effecting reciprocating movement of said body comprises an endless traction member disposed around'a closed circuit whose maximum length extends in the direction of reciprocation of said body, second drive means for moving said endless traction member, -a guide secured to the said body and extending transversely of said direction, and a connecting element slidable in said guide and connected to said member whereby motion is transmitted from said member to said body.

4.'A mineral mining machine according to claim 1, wherein said conveyor, is a scraper chain flight conveyor having conveying and return runs arranged-in the same horizontal plane, and saidmeans for eifectingneciproeating movement of said body comprises an endless traction member disposed around a closed circuit whose maximum length extends in the direction of reciprocation of saidbody, second drive means for moving said'member in the direction of its length, a guide secured to said body and extending transversely o-f'said direction, and a connecting element slidable in said guide and connected to said member so as to transmit motion from said memsprocket arranged in driving relationship with the conveyor chain and a second sprocket arranged in driving Ramsay June 18, 1938 2,935,310 7 Davies May3, 1960 3,014,707 Davies Dec. 26, 1961 FOREIGNPATENTS 159,385 Australia 0a.. 19,. 1954. 

1. A MINERAL MINING MACHINE COMPRISING A CONVEYOR, A BODY MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID CONVEYOR, MEANS FOR EFFECTING RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF SAID BODY FROM END-TO-END OF SAID CONVEYOR, FIRST DRIVE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AND CONNECTED TO A HORIZONTAL DRIVE SHAFT EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TO SAID CONVEYOR, A ROTARY TOOL CARRIER MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY DOWNWARDS ALONGSIDE OF AND IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT ONE SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR, SAID CARRIER HAVING AT ITS PERIPHERY ONLY ONE ROW OF SPACIALLY-SEPARATED CUTTER TOOLS LOCATED ON A CIRCLE HAVING ITS CENTRE ON THE DRIVE SHAFT AXIS, EACH CUTTER TOOL EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AND OBLIQUELY IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE CONVEYOR, ABUTMENT MEANS ADJACENT EACH END OF THE CONVEYOR AND PROJECTING LATERALLY FROM SAID SIDE OF THE CONVEYOR, EACH ABUTMENT MEANS COMPRISING AN ELEMENT RIGID WITH SAID CONVEYOR AND EXTENDING BELOW SAID CARRIER TO A LOCATION ADJACENT THE CONVEYOR SIDE OF THE PATH SWEPT OUT BY THE CUTTER TOOLS UPON ROTATION OF SAID CARRIER, AND MEANS FOR APPLYING THRUST TO SAID CONVEYOR TO MOVE SAID CONVEYOR LATERALLY AGAINST A MINERAL FACE WHEREBY UPON THE PASSAGE OF SAID CARRIER PAST THE ABUTMENT MEANS, THE MACHINE IS AUTOMATICALLY SUMPED INTO THE FACE BY AN AMOUNT APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SAID LOCATIONS AND THE PATH SWEPT OUT BY THE OUTER EXTREMITIES OF THE CUTTER TOOLS. 